Socket switch for tubular lamps



March 27, 1951 J. M. PlsTEY SOCKET SWITCH FOR TUBULAR LAMPS Filed DeC.5l, 1949 4 uJ/fuJ j @i Inventor- John r-ns Autor? Patented Mar. 27, 1951S'CKET SWITCH FCR TUBULAB LAMPS John M. Pistey, Fairlield, Conn.,assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication December 3l, i949, Serial No. 136,325

1 My invention relates to a lamp holder for `tubular lamps and thelikaand has the broad objective of providing a lamp holder in which acombination switch actuator and guard device precludes access to livecontacts or terminals Within the holder.

More specically, the objects of my invention include the provision of alamp holder having a switch interposed between the contacts thereof andthe line, said switch being peratel oy insulating guard member whichmust be brought to a predetermined position before a lamp may beinserted or removed and which prior to the attainment of said positionopens the switch; the provision of a lamp holder of the side insertiontype having insulating guard means which when operated to permit removalof the lamp dis connects a terminal of the lamp holder from the line andwhich may not be inadvertently operated to reconnect said terminalbefore the lamp has replaced; the provisionof a lamp holder havingswitch means interposed between a terminal thereof and the line andmeans which prevent closing said switch so long as said terminal isexternally accessible; and. the provision of a lamp holder havingimproved safeguards against accidental short circuit or Contact with theterminals.

These objectives may be accomplished by prolviding a side entry type oftubular lamp holder with a toggle switch interposed between the lineconnection and the exposed terminal of the holder and a suitable guardstructure oinsulating material having means 'for operating said switch.The guard structure, for example, may have a rotatable, arcuate, sleevewhich controls the e and removal of the lamp hase. With the `sleeve inlamp-receiving position, in which a terminal of the holder is exposed,the switch is onen; when the sleeve is rotated to lamp-securementposition, the switch is automatically closed. Alatch de-ce has beenprovided to secure the sleeve agmnst rotation to its switch closingposition until the latch has heen released by the insertion ci' the lampbase into the holder. The togn gie switch means are so arranged. thatthe switch will throw to open circuit position before the guard meansreaches a position which will permit the removal of the lamp base andwill not throw to closed circuit position until the guard ineenssubstantially completes its movement to la1np-secureinent position.

Other features and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description and the annexed drawing disclosing a presently prgn2 laims. (Cl. EGO- 51) cuoesrecess i3 in support block ierred embodimentof the invention. In said drawing, Fig. l is a side elevation of a pairof lamp holders embodying the present invention, a tubular lamp being inposition therein and one of the larnp holders being shown inverticalsection; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective showing the several elementsof the larnp holder; Figi 3 is a vertical section on lines ci Fig. l;Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3 but showing the lamp based removedfrom the holder and the guard sleeve in open position; Fig. 5 is avertical section looking in the direction of the arrows 51--5 of Fig. l;and Fig. 6 is a plan section on lines 6- .of Fig. l.

Referring now to the drawing, the lamp holders l have been mounted inappropriate spaced relation to receive therebetween a tubular lamp 2.Said lamp is of the conventional side insertion type in which the basemembers 3 are each provided with a side insertion slot fl at the base ofwhich is a coil spring 5 which forros a terminal of the lamp. The basemembers are of nsulating material. Each holder has a spear-like centerterminal fi which enters the slot i and penetrates between coils of thespring 5 to make contact therewith as the lamp is inserted into theholder. I have chosen toillust-rate this Contact arrangement because itis well known in the art; it will later be apparent, however, that myinvention is not limited thereto or dependent thereon.

Each holder includes a body member l of in sulation material whichhouses the insulating support blocks S and. 9 said blocks securing thetoggle switchframe l0, the line terminal Il and the contact structure l2of which the aforementioned center lterminal is a partY As is best shownin Fig. l, the toggle trarne i0 is attached `to the underside oi thesupport block 6l and oc- Line terminal .l i is carried by support block8 at the base of the passage Ht through which the line lead i5 extendsfor screw-threaded attachment, as shown. The Contact structure i2' issaddle-like, and is held between the arcuate base of block 8 and thesleeve Aportion i5 of the guard member ll, the enlarged diametercircular barrel i8 of said guard member cooperating with block 8 toprovide the space i9 (Fig. 3) which accommodates the contact structure.Said guard meniber is or insulation material, such as a phenolcondensation product. i prefer double pole switch construction, in whichthe contacts 28,

2Go respectively operate with the contacts 2l, 22

of the structures lil and l2. Thus when the switch is opened, thecircuit is broken simultaneoulsy at two places. Since these breaks arein series, my switch holder is thereby adapted to operation on voltageshigher than ordine-.ry house lighting circuit voltages, and isespecially useful with cold cathode tubular lamps which. require suchhigher voltages for operation, although it is apparent the holder may beused with the conventional lower potential hot cathode lamps. Aninsulating cap plate 23 may be attached to the body 'l by screws asshown to integrate the assembly.

As appears in Figs. 2 and 5 the toggle switch Contact structure ispivotally carried on pintles 2d of the frame and is toggled to itsrespective open and closed circuit positions by an actuator rotatablycarried on frame le. A shaft keyed to said actuator to be rotatedthereby has a head 2e to which is eccentrica-.ily attached aconventional pin and spring toggling assembly El which, when saidactuator is rotated, urges the switch contact member into sharp rotationafter said assembly has passed through an overcenter position. Thedirection of operation of the toggle switch member depends, of course,upon the direction of rotation of the actuator 25 as is well known inthe art. e

l prefer to make the toggle switch actuator of an insulation materialsuch as Textolite or a phenol condensation product. actuator to throwthe switch to its operating positions is accomplished by rotation of theguard member El. Although other mechanical devices be employed for thenecessary mechanical interconnection of the switch actuator and guardmember, I prefer to utilize a gear drive,'and accordingly form theactuator as a gear sector having theirequired number of teeth, andprovide the circular barrel I8 of the guard member with meshing teeth,see Fig. 5. The rear of the housing? rotatably receives the barrel I8andthe forward housing walls extend about the sleeve 'I5 to hold thesame within the housing, as clearly appears in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. Afinger 23 projects from sleeve E6 through a slot 29 in housing l, and`provides convenient means for rotating the guard member within xedlimits.

The guard member has two operating positions, each of which establishesan operating condition of the toggle switch. Fig. 4 is the open, orlampreceiving position, and as appears therein the wall opening of thesleeve registers with wall opening 3i of the housing for the receptionof the lamp base. The upper wall portion of the sleeve is substantiallysemiciroular, with a radius only slightly larger than that of the lampbase, and after lsaid base has been positioned with terminal 6 occupyingthe opening 4, the sleeve may be rotated to the Fig. 3 position in whichthe housing opening 3! is closed against removal of the lamp. The switchoperation is such that with the guard member sleeve in lamp-receivingposition the switch is open, and with the sleeve in locking position,the switch is closed.

provide means for latching the sleeve in its lamp receiving positionuntil a lamp has been inserted inthe holder. Thus, so long as theterminal 5 is exposed or externally accessible, said terminal is notconnected to the line. A typical latching device may comprise acylindrical body portion 32 slidably housed within cavity of the bodymember 8, see Fig. l, and spring biased downwardly into engagement withthe interrupted circular end 33 of the slot 34 provided for theaccommodation of terminal E. The keying Rotation of the relationship ofthe latch body 32 with the sleeve walls prevents rotation of the guardmember in either direction. The latch may be released only by drivingthe body @il upwardly out of engagement with the end portion 33 of saidslot 34. For such release, I provide the latch body 32 with a head 35which is engaged and forced upwardly by the lamp base to raise the body32 above the sleeve l, see Fig. 3,

Summarizing the operation of my device, in the Fig. 4 position in whichthe guard sleeve i6 is positioned for the reception of a lamp base theswitch actuator 25 has been rotated by the barrel I3 to throw the switchYl into open circuit position. The center terminal 6 is therefore in anopen circuit, Upon the insertion of a lamp clockwise of Fig. 4. Theovercenter action of the toggling assembly 2l' does not occur until thesleeve I6 approaches the Fig. 3 position, in which position it isphysically impossible to gain access to the contact 6. On completion ofthe rotation of the guard a spring pressed detent 36 in the barrel i8engages with a recess 3l in the housing member 'I to yieldably retainthe guard in its closed position. Upon counterclockwise rotation of theguard l1 the toggle switch is thrown to open circuit position before thesleeve I6 has cleared the mouth of the body 'l for the removal of thelamp base.

It should be understood that conventional external switch means will beused for the normal operational control of the lamps. The guard actuatedtoggle switches Within the holders insure d against shock or shortcircuit whenever a lamp base is empty.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my inventionit will beunderstood. of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto sincemany modifications be made; and I theretore contemplate by the appendedclaims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spiritand scope of my invention.

What I claim af: new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

l.. .Ah-older for tubular lamps andthe like comprising a body structurehaving a side opening to receive a base or a lamp, a line terminal, a'terminal exposed within said side opening ,for engagement with contactmeans on said lamp base, a toggle switch in circuit between saidterminals, means for actuating said toggle switch, a guard member, andmeans release-ble by a lamp base :for effecting the locking of saidswitch actuating means, said guard member including an arcuate sleeve ofinsulating material registrable with said body side opening to receivesaid lamp loa-se and rotatable relative thereto to secure said lamp baseagainst removal from said holder, sai-.fl switch actuating meanscomprising a gear sector mounted for rotation in said housing to eiiecttripping of said toggle switch, said guard member further havingplurality of gear teeth on the periphery thereof engageable with saidgear sector to effect the operation or said toggle switch to the openposition when said guard is in the lamp-receiving position and to theclosed position when said guard is in the lamp-securing position.

2. A holder for tubular lamps and the like com rrising a body structurehaving a side opening to receive a base of a lamp, line terminal, aterminal. exposed within said side opening for en `sagement with contactmeans on said lamp base,

- a toggle-switch in circuit between said terminals, means for actuatingsaid switch, and means for preventing the operation of said switchactuating means until a lamp is in said holder, said switch actuatingmeans comprising an insulating guard member, a gear sector, and meansconnecting said gear sector to said toggle switch, said guard memberhaving means for eiecting rotatable support thereof Within said housingto provide a position in which said side opening is cleared to receive alamp base and a position closing said opening to secure a lamp Withinsaid holder, said guard member further having a plurality of gear teethformed on the periphery thereof engageable With said gear sector, saidgear sector including means for rotatably supporting the same Withinsaid housing in engagement with said guard member teeth, and saidconnecting means being adapted to engage the toggle mechanism of saidtoggle switch to effect the operation thereof to the open position whensaid guard member is in the lamp-receiving position and to the closedposition When said guard REFERENCES CITED The following references areof record in the :le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,840,583 Hubbell Jan. 12, 19322,430,602 De Bell Nov. 11, 1947 2,438,012 Laidig Mar. 16, 1948

